Planetary type surfacing machine



Sept. 26, 1933. H. L. MYERS PLANETARY TYPE SURFACING MACHINE s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 28, 1932 Sept. 26, 1933. MYERS PLANETARY TYPE SURFACING MACHINE Filed May 28, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 will H MIN! 1 Sept. 26, 1933. L MYERS 1,928,390

PLANETARY TYPE SURFACING MACHINE Filed May 28, 1932 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 43 Inventor fl ryi @6219 gmm f1 tlorncy Patented Sept. 26, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE American Floor Surfacing Machine Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Company,

'Application May 28, 1932. Serial No. 614,181

Claims. (01. 51-177) This invention relates to an improved fioor surfacing machine of the rotary disc planetary type especially constructed for grinding, rubbing and polishing various kinds of composition floors,

5 such as for example, terrazzo, mosaic, marble and the like. 7

It is a matter of common knowledge to those familiar with the fioor surfacingtrade and industry that in order to uniformly grind'and surface composition floors and to at the same time minimize work and labor and save time, machines of the aforesaidtype though comparatively small and relatively light in weight must be built for strength, durability and heavy duty. The machine constituting the novelty of this application, like some prior patented machines developedfor -the same class of work, is of the multiple disc ensemble planetary type. Otherwise stated, the machine comprises a horizontally disposed. revoluble head revolving on a c'ommon'fixed center and carrying an assembly of duplicate companion surface abrading units rotatable on their own individual axes. of capacity machine is not new.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide the trade with a structurally improved and materially refined machine'characterized by a, revoluble self-levelling head having the distinguishable rotary surfacing units anda special power transmission means for said units located in the confines of the head, thereby providing an arrangement which is calculated to better fulfill the requirements of a machine of this kind while at the same time minimizing lubrication. This typeof machine, it is submitted, is ideal to use for rubbing'in the mastic and polishing the floor on the final finishingoperation. It is such in construction as to uniformly surface high and low spots, eliminate an appreciable amount of labor usually expended in accurately levelling or smoothing up the floor when laying the terrazzo. f

In carrying the inventive conception into actual practice, I have found it expedient and practical to select an unusual arrangement of mechanical features carefully matched and co- 1 ordinatedto take care of the self-levelling feature of thehead, said head being in .effect a Broadlythis planetary type pair of outstanding prongs or lugs 18 which define drive (not shown) device. 7

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the planeof the line 2-2 of Figure 1. I

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional and elevational view'on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the revoluble head with the cover plate removed to showthe internal details.

Figure5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6' is a bottom plan viewof the driving flange carried by the drive shaft. Y Figures '7, 8 and 9 are detail views.

Figure 10 is a detail view of the thermoid' or especially fabricated flexible driving ring. Before introducing the detailed description, attention is invited to the fact that thisinvention is similar to a structure possessing certain common characteristics disclosed in my co-pending application filed the 28th day of May, 1932, and designated'bySerial Number 614,182, which matured into Patent Number 1,919,389 granted July 25, 1933. I

Referring now to the illustrative drawings, it will be observed that the numeral 11 in Figure 1 designates what is herein broadly referred to as a portable support. In fact, this is the major part of a wheeled'truck supported casing carrying an electric motor (not shown) which motor drives a sprocket chain (not shown) trained jover the sprocket 12, said chain operating in the shield or guard 13. v r

Through the medium of appropriate gearing,

with the improved planetary theperpendicular drive shaft 14 is actuated, said a keeper which serves a purpose to be hereinafter described. I

The revoluble head is denoted as a unit by the numeral 19, said head being in the form of a casing. The lower or body portion is denoted by 5 the numeral 20 in Figure 3, and the cover distinguished by'the ordinals 21, said cover having raised sockets 22 provided" with renewable'bushings 23. Directly beneath thesockets 22 the body portion 20 is provided with circumferentially spaced bearings 24 provided with additional bushings or liners 25. v

The lower end of the drive shaft 14 extends down into the head where it is provided with a balllike terminal 26 seated in the complemental depression of an end thrust plate 2'7. Keyed to the shaft is a driving flange 28 having circumferentially spaced enlargements 29 threaded to accommodate the screw-threaded portions of connecting bolts 30. These bolts are fastened at circumferentially spaced points to the thermoid or flexible ring 31. The ring is in turn secured by bolts 32 to inwardly projecting studs 33 carried by the body portion 20 of the head. This provides a flexible driving coupling between the shaft 14 and the head to provide the requisite revolving action of said head.

The individual rotatable surfacing units are generally distinguished by the numerals 34. Each unit is the same in construction and a description of one will suffice for all. The unit comprises a stub shaft 35 mounted for rotation in the bearings 23 and 25, said stub'shaft being provided with a fixed sheave or pulley 36, locateddirectly beneath the cover plate 21.

The. stub shaft car'riesla backing plate 37 to which the pivotally mounted tiltabl'e spring pressed subplate 38-,is connected. The subplate is constructed to carry the renewable abrasive stones or blocks 39. Incidently no claimis'herein made to the specific construction of these units with the exception that each one is provided with a rotary shaft mounted i appropriate bearings and said shaft is equipped with a pulley, sprocket wheel, or equivalent rotating element.

As a matter of distinction, these pulleys 36 are hereinafter. referred to as the supplemental pulleys inthat they cQ-operate with a main stationary orfixe'dly mounted pulley 40. The pulley 40 is centrally located and surrounds the shaft 14 as 's'een clearly in Figure 3. This pulley '40 has no. positive connection with the shaft '14. In

fact, a conventional self-levelling bearing 41 is provided to permit this pulley 40 to maintain in the same plane with the head 19 at all times. To guard against disalinement of the pulley 40 I provide one or more retaining brackets or clips 42.

. I Attached to the upper side of the pulley is an annulus 43providedwith a marginal keeper finger 44 which extends up between the lugs 18. This prevents the pulley' 40 from. rotating with the shaft 14. Thus, 'in' this sense the pulley '40 is fixed and the supplemental pulleys 3 6 are rotatable.

" The'aforesaid action is accomplished through the use of a flexible tracking belt 45 which'as seen in Figure 4 is formed to define a double V arrangement. The small'V may be distinguished as the inner flight 46 and this hasi'ts apex portion partially embracing the pulley 40. I The outer V or flight 4'? is trained over the supplemental pulleys 36. The belt is approximately diamond- --co-operates with the main fixed pulley 40. while the other surface thereof liasfrictional driving "the medium of the flexible driving coupling com- .posed of the flange 28 and thermoid or fabricated flexible ring 31.. Thus the head 19 is positively driven and rendered self-levelling to compensate r for irregularities in the surface being treated.

The surfacing units 34 are individually rotatable through the medium of the shaft 35 rotating in their bearings. The units 34 are bodily carried around tliecommon center of rotation through'the medium of the head 19 in order to obtain the requisite planetary action.

The tracking belt 45 trained over the fixed pulley 40 and the supplemental rotary pulleys 36 constitutes the means for individually rotating the units 34 as they travel around the aforesaid common center.

Although I have shown a reversible tracking or driving belt co-operating with movable and fixed sheaves, it is understood that the same result may be accomplished by using sprockets and a complemental sprocket chain.

An explicit review of the particular selection or" mechanical parts will disclose the fact that the arrangement is unique from a manufacturing and assembling standpoint. Particularly do I wish to emphasize however, the principal novelty of the invention which resides in the flexible belt and pulley drive confined completely within-the hollow casing-like head operating in conjunction with the self-levelling head.

I claim:

1. A floor surfacing machine of the glass described complising 'a portable support including arelatively stationary depending shaft guide, a

perpendicular power-actuated drive shaft mounted for rotation in said guide, a revoluble selflevelling head, a flexible operating connection between said head and shaft, said headbeing provided with circumferentially spaced marginal bearings, a plurality of duplicate surfacing units having stub shafts mounted for rotation in said bearings, a relatively fixed main pulley connected with said guide and arranged centrally with respect totheaxis of revolution of said head, i'ndividual supplemental pulleys fixedly attached to said stub shafts, and a'flexible tracking belt trained over said pulleys, said belt being substantially diamond-shaped in cross section with one tracking surface engaged with the main pulley and the opposed tracking surface engaged with the supplemental pulleys. j h

2. A floor surfacing machine of the class described comprising a portable support including arelative ly stationary depending shaft 'guide,..

a perpendicular power-actuated drive' shaft mounted for rotation in said guide, a revoluble self-levelling head, an operating connection between said head and shaft, said head being probearings, a relatively fixed main pulley attached to said guide and arrangedcentrally with respect to the'axis of'revolution of said head, individual.

supplemental, pulleys fixedly attached to stub shafts, and a flexible tracking belt trained over said pulleys, said belt being substantially diamond-shaped in cross section with shaped in cross section so that one surface thereof one tracking surface engaged with the main.

pulley and the opposed tracking surface engaged 'with the supplemental pulleys, andbeing flexed intodouble V-shaped formation in the manner described.

3. In a surfacing machine of the class described, a portable support including a vertical relatively stationary guide, a drive shaft mounted for rotation in said guide, a hollow revoluble head provided with a centrally arranged internal thrust plate, said drive shaft extending down into said; head and having a ball-like terminal co-operable with said plate, a driving flange keyed'on that portion of the drive shaft located in said head, a flexible coupling ring attached to the head and flange'respectively to permit the head .to be substantially self-levelling, a relatively 'flxed.

main pulley surrounding the shaft and connected to said tubular guide, said head being provided with rotatably mounted surfacing units, supplemental pulleys carried by each unit, and a belt trained over all of said pulleys.

4. In a surfacing machine of the class de-" scribed, a portable support including a vertical relatively stationary guide, a hollow casing-like head, a drive shaft mounted 'forrotation insaid guide and extending down into said head, a

flexible operating connection between the head 5. In a machine of the class described, a vertical relatively stationary tubular guide, a drive shaft mounted for rotation in said guide, a plate fixedly connected to the lower end of the guide and provided with marginal outstanding retaining lugs, a sectional hollow revoluble head, said shaft extending down into the interior of said head, a flexible operating connection between the head and shaft, a main pulley surrounding said shaft and confined in said head, 'an' annulus attached to said pulley and provided with an upstanding finger located between said retaining element to prevent rotation of the pulley, a self-adjusting bearing interposed between the top of the pulley and said shaft, said head being provided with circumferentially spaced bearings, a plurality of surfacing units including stub shafts mounted for rotation in said bearings, supplemental pulleys fixedly attached to the stub shafts and located in the head in alinement with said main pulley,

a flexible belt of double V-shaped formation, the

intermediate portion of 'one flight of said belt partially embracing said fixed pulley, and the remaining flight of the belt surrounding said supplemental-pulleys. V

, HARRY L. MYERS. 

